A Filipino returning scientist is proposing to develop a solution to clean up areas that have been ruined by mining contamination.

Agustine Doronila, a University of Melbourne senior research fellow, said that he was willing to help establish a “phytoremediation” research group that would harness plants to recover contaminants from the ground and water, thereby restoring ecological balance in a mining area.

Doronila is now part of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Balik Scientist Program.

Doronila said the research, dubbed the Philippine Metalophyte Research Consortium, would be based in Ateneo De Manila University.

He said there are endemic plants in the country that could be used for phytoremediation. These include the spurge plant or Euphobiaceae (scientific name Phyllanthus balgooyi), which has been described in a study by botanist Domingo Madulid as a “hyper accumulator” or a plant that could absorb large quantities of heavy metals.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

Senator Edgardo Angara has filed Senate Bill 3139, which allows the total research and development (R&D) cost and prices of shares of stocks in biotechnology companies as tax deductible.

This bill seeks to propel the biotechnology industry in the country by offering the private sector incentives to invest in biotechnology R&D and building a biotechnology center.

At present, majority of the government’s investments in biotechnology R&D is awarded through a government corporation, Angara said in a statement.

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By Dennis Posadas
Contributor

THE scenario is all too familiar. A young Filipino, after having completed his masters or PhD in engineering or the sciences, decides to leave for abroad to seek greener pastures. Or even, a returnee Filipino with an advanced degree from abroad, returning with hope in his eyes, only to leave again, disillusioned by what he can work on and what he will earn.

Or even the fact that many of our small- and medium-sized Philippine companies cannot afford to do R&D to improve their products to make them world class. But if they had a world-class R&D Institute that can help them, but for a fraction of the cost, wouldn’t that be great?

One of the Congressional Commission on Science & Technology and Engineering (COMSTE)’s main recommendations is to setup a local version of Taiwan’s R&D jewel, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

In the 70’s, when the GDP of Taiwan was still based on agriculture and low cost manufacturing, their leaders decided that they wanted to copy Silicon Valley. To do this, they setup the ITRI, in the city of Hsinchu. The ITRI ever since has become Taiwan’s top source of innovation and technology spin offs.

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